LAST year, it was 20c with shorts, T-shirts and a dash of factor 15 the order of the day.

Twelve months on and thermals and waterproofs are de rigueur - despite the impending approach next week of British Summer Time.

Ken Cook, a volunteer observer for the Met Office, has been meticulously recording the highs and lows of the region's weather from his station in the Teesdale village of Copley for decades.

His statistics for March 2012 reveal that while it got chilly at night, with a ground frost most evenings, a high temperature for the month of 21C was recorded, with rain on just eight days.

This year couldn't be more different.

The highest temperature in Teesdale this week was a miserable 4C with a low of minus 5C, accompanied by two inches of rain and snow, and the prospect of more this weekend.

Mr Cook, who has been taking weather recordings for more than 50 years, said it was all down to the position of the jetstream, the current of air which controls the pressure systems over the UK.

He said: "The main reason is that the jetstream is so far south. It means there is a massive block of cold air to the north. No-one really knows why the jetstream is so far south.

"Any warm air trying to get in is being fended off and it means any rain which comes into contact with the cold air turns into snow."

He added: "It has not been an exceptionally cold winter - we had a mild spell in January - but every month has been below average and this is the coldest March on my records, which go back to 1960.

"Last year was a beauty, but again it all depends on the position of the jetstream. If it is to the north of us, we get warm air from the equator."

The adverse weather caused disruption and road closures in the region.

The A66 Transpennine route was closed in both directions all day after driving conditions became treacherous, with a lorry jackknifing at Stainmore, in Cumbria, this morning (Friday, March 22).

In North Yorkshire, 26 schools were closed because of the weather, while two schools shut in County Durham with heating problems.

Leeds Bradford International Airport suspended all flights due to "adverse weather conditions".

The Met Office tonight warned of further heavy snow across northern England on Saturday, although it will become lighter and more intermittent as the day continues.

An amber snow warning was issued for the North-East and Yorkshire with residents urged to be prepared.

However, there may be hope on the horizon.

Mr Cook said: "We can only forecast for up to about five days' time, but it looks as though there could be a change towards the Easter weekend."